Nestled in what is known as the Fog Zone, Tofino is mainly driven by tourism and is home to close to 2,000 residents. Tofino is also well known as the surf capital of Canada, which explains why the town draws thousands of visitors to the town gates each year. Aside from the booming tourism industry, the residents of Tofino are also proud of a recently opened craft brewery known as Tofino Brewing Company, which is the first craft brewery of its kind in the area.
The Tofino Brewing Company was created by a group of three guys namely Bryan O’Malley, Dave McConnell and Chris Neufeld. The brewery opened its doors in 2011 when the beer rush had just started in most BC regions. Since the inception of the brewery, it has racked up a reputation for itself as a leading producer of craft beers that are inspired by the Tofino surf culture. As such, most of the brews here are named after crazy surfing techniques and names.
For instance, the Tuff Session Ale is a favorite among the locals while the Hoppin Cretin IPA and Kelp Stout have made the Tofino Brewery famous in other BC provinces. The Tuff Session Ale is the Tofino flagship beer, which is also available on tap all through the year. Some of the other brews on offer are the Dawn Patrol, which is a coffee porter and the Cosmic Wave, which is a double IPA.
The tasting room is limited in terms of the amounts of beer that it is allowed to serve. Patrons at the Tofino tasting room are limited to 120z of beer with each visit. The Tofino Brewing Company also has fresh, cold 640z. refillable growlers for sale as well as kegs. Aside from the beer, the brewery also sells merchandise such as t-shirts and hoodies as well as offer beer tours to the arriving tourists and the locals. In terms of the ingredients sourced for the beer production process, Tofino mostly sources its grains from various Canadian farmers, while the hops are mainly acquired from various regions in the Pacific Northwest.
Before bottling, canning or any wide scale distribution process could begin, Tofino had major plans to establish itself as the main brewery in town, which it has done successfully through the years that the brewery has remained operational. Tofino distributes draught kegs to various local restaurants and alongside the growlers that can be refilled or purchased directly from the brewery; the brand has managed to get out there to other regions.